taxes, education, reproductive rights when you're mitt romney what's wrong with a little change of heart? it's wednesday, october 10th, and this is "now." joining me today, msnbc political analyst and georgetown university professor michael eric dyson, the golden throat. the host of msnbc's the cycle

steve kornacki, msnbc contributor and queen bee of thegrio.com joy reid and new york times magazine editor mr. sunday morning himself, hugo lingren. there are 27 days to the election, meaning we still have time for 27 new and exciting policy shifts from governor mitt romney. and who better than the country's explainer in chief to outline the paradox of the mittens. >> i had a different reaction to that first debate than a lot of people did. i mean, i thought -- i thought wow. here's old moderate mitt. where you been, boy? i missed you all these last two years. >> call it the merry go mitt. governor romney has completed a full 360-degree rotation, changing his views so many times on -- so many times on some of

his core beliefs that he's right back to where he started decades ago. here's what he told "the des moines register" yesterday. seeking to reassure the base, the romney campaign immediately released a statement saying -- governor romney would, of course, support legislation aimed at providing greater protections for life. so apparently romney would support efforts to curb abortion he just wouldn't make it part of his agenda. the only problem is that just a month ago on "meet the press" romney said it would be part of his agenda. >> i am pro life and will intend, if i'm president of the united states, to encourage pro life policies. >> one way he would encourage pro life policies romney has argued would be to appoint justices to the supreme court in order to overturn roe v. wade. >> in my view if we had justices like robert, alito, thomas and scalia and more justices like that they my decide to return this to states as opposed to

saying it's in the constitution, do i believe we should overturn roe v. wade, yes, i do. >> would you have supported a constitutional amendment that would have established the definition of life at conception. >> absolutely. >> back in 2007, in vintage romney rhetoric he said he would be, quote, delighted to put into place a ban on abortions. >> i would welcome a circumstance where there was such a consensus in this country we said we don't want to have abortion in this country at all period. i would be delighted. >> would you sign a bill? >> i would be delighted to sign that bill. >> what's, perhaps, most fas nating about the merry go mitt the ride has come full circle. a mitt romney who would not restrict abortion laws would be the same mitt romney who ran for governor 2002. >> i will preserving serve and protect a woman's right to choose and i'm devoted to honoring my word in that regard.

>> the mitt romney who ran for senate in 1994. >> i believe abortion should be safe and legal in this country. i have since the time my mom took that position when she ran in 1970 as a u.s. senate candidate. since roe v. wade has been the low for 20 years we should sustain and support it and i sustain and support that law and the right of a woman to make that choice. >> back then senator ted kennedy seemed to know romney better than romney knew himself. >> on the question of the choice issue, i have supported the roe v. wade, i am pro choice, my opponent is multiple choice. >> the fact is, there's something for everyone on the romney carousel. wait long enough and the candidate will arrive at a convenient position. hop on or hey hop off. to the no good necks who say romney has been gasp, less than honest about what exactly he believes, the candidate's wife offered a strong rebuttal. >> i can't -- i mean like lied about what? something he's been saying all along what he believes this is his policy, his statements.

>> that's the great thing about the carnival in romney land wait a day and the carousel will spin around again, new policies, new statements and new beliefs. steve kornacki my head is spinning watching all that tape literally, i am pro choice, i am pro life and now maybe i'm pro choice again? >> and in the history even more complicated it was ten years ago he ran as pro choice in 1994 for the senate, what we forget is he went to utah in between to run the olympics and a moment when he thought his political future was in utah not in massachusetts and he started to position himself for that, wrote a letter to the newspaper editor "salt lake tribune" in 2001 that said i do not wish to be called pro choice anymore. taking his first step. went back to massachusetts because the governorship opened, got to run as pro choice there, that's the clip, then decides he's going to run for president in the republican primaries, got to be pro life for that, all the clips from that and now a month before the election and, you know, we say it's a shift to the middle, to me it's just a rhetorical shift.

i have no idea what mitt romney personally thinks about abortion. i don't think any of us will know what mitt romney thinks about abortion. if you want to know what kind of president mitt romney will be on abortion look at where the republican party is, republicans are congress are, platform is they call for a human life amendment, litmus test for judges. this what is he would be as -- >> constitutional ban on abortion we would be delighted to sign. it's one thing when talking about tax policy where americans maybe get confused and the wall of obfuscation is particularly thick, but on something like this. >> yeah. >> and talking about women voters who romney needs and has made up ground with in recent days this i think is much more devastating in terms of showcasing just how back and forth and around the world he's been. >> absolutely. i think the romney campaign is counting on people only looking at the most recent sound bite being shown to them, primarily on local news where most people get their news and they're counting on people not going back and checking and they're counting on a rigorous media fact check on it that he can get away with marketing this version

of himself to current voters. mitt romney as republicans on the right believe, is just going to be the hand that holds the pen that signs conservative legislation. so there's no reason to believe that as president, he wouldn't simply sign because look, if he wins, that meant that republicans probably get the senate and probably hold the house. there is any reason to believe mitt romney would not follow through and sign anti-abortion legislation that came to his desk? is there any reason to believe he wouldn't at least attempt to put forward supreme court justices that would overturn roe? no reason not to believe that. >> i think there is also the other danger in terms of backtracking right now is, the conservative base, i mean the fact that the romney campaign immediately followed up that statement with, oh, wait, of course he's pro life, he is now in particularly tricky situation as he tacks towards the middle which is not alienating the conservatives he spent so much time -- >> i don't think there's much of a risk. i think there's something strategic about the indecisiveness.

you said the word devastating, devastating to who? i think the people for whom this is the core issue it pretty much made up their mind who they're going to vote for. this is in the middle, this is people who maybe don't know exactly. the polls say americans think this, americans think that. a lot of people are confused about where they stand not maybe yes or no should abortion be legal but on the more fine grained issues about like what kind of restrictions there are and this candidate who's like well, now he, i'm this, i'm that, i'm not sure that's necessarily a negative for those votes in the middle. >> michael eric dyson, talk about romney backtracking on the 47% stuff. yesterday interviewed by wolf blitzer and said -- asked about his evolution on the issue. so much talk of evolution from the candidate of a party doesn't believe in evolution but that's neither here nor there. let's play the sound from yesterday with mitt romney and wolf blitzer talking 47%. >> how did that evolution in your thinking go on from the initial reaction once that tape came out to what you said the

other day that you were completely wrong? >> well, what i'm saying is that what -- words that came out were not what i meant. and what i mean i think people understand is that if i'm president i'll be president of 100% of the people. my whole campaign is about helping the middle class. >> okay. michael eric dyson you're a man of words and thoughts. and there is a sentence in there where romney says, well what i'm saying is the words that came out were not what i meant. >> right. >> and then doesn't clarify them and further more doesn't even talk about the original question. let us play for america once again the original question which was not actually about process or electoral college math or popular vote math. this is the question he was answering. >>

. >> so that question, again, how are you going to convince everybody you've got to take care of yourself a fundamental argument about the american social pack not the campaign process. >> mitt romney wants his fake and eat it too. had he's constantly negotiating like a literary theorist, this is on the canvas of many politics because intentionality must not obscure what consequence and meaning are about. mitt can say those are the words are uttered but not what i meant. so he's on some kind of that's what i said but that's not what i was saying. and when he does that, he's able, i think as hugo pointed out, to be able to satisfy the american chaos. howard thurman said make me unanimous in myself. there's so many selves competing

for public expression we don't know. that doesn't bode ill for him because so many people are going i don't know what i believe, on one day this, on one day that. they do expect from their political figures to nail it down to bring the kind of clarity to them that they rhaps lack in themselves. here's where his disingenuous character shows up clearly. what is clear is the fact that mitt romney will say or do anything to get elected and like joy reid said what ends up happening is he becomes the kind of machinery for the republican base to certify and validate what they believe. >> i just think it's an incredible crass view of the american public, this idea that he can just sort of do this. it's a complete whitewash. >> he's gotten away with it so far. >> had e's not the first one. >> it has been so pronounced and people understand evolution on positions like gay marriage, a host of social issues -- >> jack shea wrote a good column in reuters about why politicians lie. because the feelings that the

politicians express, the ability to make the electorate feel good is more important than, you know, to the voters than like what they actually say. and it's historically consistent. >> there's a difference on this, there's flip flopping and then what romney is doing. this is not classic flip flopping because he's not actually changed any of his positions. he's not put policies forward that we can say yes, he's moved to the middle, changed his position. he's denied the consequences of the policies he's running on. obama can hit him -- >> he's denied the statements themselves as if this is all incredibly transient, it's all in the ecos. nothing to pin him down. those words are not what i meant and what i mean is not what i say. >> not a $5 trillion tax cut -- >> no economist can say it is. >> well -- >> isn't it in a lot of ways means this is not so much a test of mitt romney who will say whatever he wants to say whether it is completely contradictory or not feels he can get away with it this is a test for the media the one supposedly

institutionally separate mechanism for getting at the truth. if it is the case you can in modern politics say the exact opposite on wednesday of what you said on tuesday, and get away with it you're never called on it, the media says it's not our job -- >> he is called on it. he was called on it -- >> was i calling him on it? >> i mean alex, you did. i'm saying when wolf blitzer just talked to him, he said your evolution. that is not an evolution. that was not calling him. how did you evolve to that position? that wasn't calling him on it. >> wolf did get that pretty good quote from him that was just like pretty transparently waffling. >> yeah, but he did ask him how would you answer that question again and romney -- didn't show that question but he made it about electoral process. it's not a question about electoral process. it's about role of government. >> fact checking departments all over this. you know "the new york times," washington post "the daily rundown." >> is that getting to the local media. >> that's not the fault of the media if the voters aren't hearing it. i mean the stuff is in there.

"the new york times" is covering it. "the washington post" is covering it, "time" magazine had a cover story on what's up with facts these days in political races and a good story that had a lot of considering debunking of like what's happening. it's not that it's -- we aren't talking abo ing about it, why a voters reacting the way they should. >> we will talk about how voters are reacting to the latest romney high jinx, the ride on the romney carousel after the break. brought to you by the letter "r" while governor romney fires back at team obama over the latest attack ads featuring big bird jimmy fallon conjures memories of another show, mr. romney's neighborhood. >> hello, neighbor. you see this? it's called a wallet. inside of a wallet, that's where money goes. now, do you know what money is? i'm guessing no because you're watching public television. therefore you don't have cable.

therefore you're probably poor. money is sort of like paper you can use to buy things that you want like toys or yachts. now you may be wondering where does money come from? well, it comes from a magical place called our parents. >> we will explain what mr. romney's view on big bird tells us about his vision for education, next on "now." [ female announcer ] research suggests cell health plays a key role throughout our lives. one a day women's 50+ is a complete multivitamin designed for women's health concerns as we age. it has more of 7 antioxidants to support cell health. one a day 50+.

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we got 23 million americans out of work or struggling to get a full tile job and we've got

one out of six americans now in poverty 47 million on food stamps and the president is talking about saving big bird. i'll spend my time about saving jobs, creating jobs. >> that's governor romney continuing his schoolyard fight with pbs. the republican nominee's unwavering position on big bird speaks to another critical issue education and the government role's in providing one. while romney proclaimed last week he loves teachers -- >> first i love grade schools, massachusetts our schools are ranked number one of all 50 states and the key to great schools, great teachers. so i reject the idea i don't believe in great teachers or more teachers. >> he failed to say how his proposal to slash trillions in government funding would impact education. it's safe to say the results wouldn't be pretty. romney's world the department of education should be smaller, schools don't need more money and students shouldn't count on the federal government to help them pay for college. >> um, the best thing i can do

for you is to tell you to shop around and to compare um, compare tuition in different places. and make sure that you're getting the education you want for the cost that you want. college is expensive. you don't want to have huge debts and i'm not -- i know it would be popular for me to stand up and say i'm going to give you government money to pay for your college. i'm not going to promise that. shop around, get a good price. >> but hey f that's not possible, there's always this suggestion from the parent whose children have a $100 million trust fund. >> this attack of success is very different than what we've seen in our country's history. we've always encouraged young people, take a shot, go for it, take a risk, get the education, borrow money if you have to from your parents, start a business. >> borrow money -- shop around, michael eric dyson, you a professor, find the lowest cost college, if you can't, borrow money from your parents. >> that's a great misuse of smoky robinson's lyric, number

one. number two, this shows you just how much in the clouds with all due respect to icloud, that mitt romney is, the inability to even imagine that people who are poor are parents who can't lend their kids money it's been generationally transmitted number one, but number two, the inability to imagine your policies are going to slash education. you're talking about all this, you know, non -- nondefense security spending that you're going to do, it's going to be at the expense of these educational institutions. you don't have any idea about what inner city teachers have to do to dig into their own pockets to pay for the lessons for their kids so buy them books. he has no visceral or tangible connection to this world. i think that's where the disingenuous dishonest nature of mitt romney comes forth. look we know that barack obama is the african-american in the race, but this guy improvises like he's, you know, really the king of cool miles davis.

he is riffing wherever he stands he'll say what you want to hear. if you're for abortion, he's riffing there. if you're against abortion, he's riffing there. because he's everything to everybody, he gets a chance to be a kind of test for what you want. they said that was true about obama last time but obama had policies that indicated where he was heading. we have no idea with mitt romney what he might do. >> i think on education if we're trying to get specific here, the big bird statements and the vilification of big bird speaks to this as you say, a misunderstanding or lack of understanding about the role of the importance of early childhood education and the role that, you know, channels like pbs play for low-income kids who don't have nursery schools and preschools to go to. it's funny because it's big bird and a gigantic bird that makes funny noises but really sesame street and this early education those are the building blocks for, you know, successful, smart kids in america. >> yes. >> something that -- >> and the immigrants who learn to talk. how many immigrants have learned

english on sesame street or watching the electric company. pbs has been an outlet for educating people who don't otherwise have access to these institutions that mitt romney wants people to go to borrow money for. >> i have to say i think the big bird public education thing comparison isn't quite apt. the truth is, there is a really serious policy difference between the president and the republicans on this and it comes down to educational vouchers. it's a really interesting discussion to have. i think we're kind of getting lost with these other kinds of ways of talking about the big bird thing and it's very complicated. i don't know that the presidential race is the right forum really for it to happen, but it is -- it really is the fundamental difference. romney wants to move a lot of educational funding into the hands of parents and let them choose their schools. the democrats have a different idea. it's -- i think it's something that it would be better to be talking about -- >> i disagree with you. on some education policy, especially taking on unions,

mitt romney was asked that if he would keep arne duncan on as secretary of education he didn't say yes or no. there is daylight between mitt romney and -- >> he likes to have it both places. >> but the big bird thing points to a larger i think willful disavowel of struggle in this country. >> and struggle and structure. you're on the titanic, i'm going to give you a voucher, a life -- you know a life boat so to speak or what he called life jacket to go on, but the ship is sinking. you plug the hole. the structural problems mitt romney seems to have no comprehension of, that they're beyond -- if i put a size 10 feet -- foot in a size 8 shoe there are structural problems. i have a choice to choose from. >> tell me about it. >> okay. so my high heels hurt me as well. the reality is that to make the argument about vouchers is really to talk about a philosophical difference but the philosophical difference rests on the convenience and luxury to say we're going to give a

voucher to some to make the choice, that misunderstands the fact that so many other people don't have choices and the people that are left behind are forced into a situation over which they exercise no control. so the illusion of control by giving a voucher doesn't plug the hole, the structural problems. the lack of -- you got a $60 million school in the suburbs, a school in the inner city that has secondhand books that still says richard nixon is the president of the united states of america. i tell you that's huge. >> and the other issue this is also mitt romney's bone he's throwing to the right as he's throwing everything else they believe under the bus in his quest to flee to the middle there is a belief system on the right you should voucherize and privatize education for profit, let's just keep it real. the charter school movement is a potentially profitable business and this goes back to romney's fundamental who he really is at the end of the day, he's a businessman about profit. there is a segment of the right that wants to profit off education. another segment on the right that wants to voucherize

education because they want to withdraw from parts of the public education that displeases them. they think public education deletes religion. want to teach creationism. they want to do things that the public school system don't allow but they want their choice to withdraw their children from that belief system to be subsidized by the same federal government they want to stop spending. >> boom. joy reid. laying it out. we got to leave it there. there's more to talk about, of course, as there always is. the 2010 mid term election signal a congressional tidal wave will the 2012 race bring something more closely resembling a light sea breeze. we will tell the analogy ahead on "now." hahahaha! hooohooo, hahaha! this is awesome! folks who save hundreds of dollars switching to geico sure are happy. i'd say happier than a slinky on an escalator. get happy. get geico. melons!!! oh yeah!!

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call now to request your free decision guide. and learn more about the kinds of plans that will be here for you now -- and down the road. i have a lifetime of experience. so i know how important that is. while democrats faced an everybodiest like climb to win control of the house their grip on the senate appears to be loosening. one of the key contests is the missouri race.

remember the back and forth over challenger congressman todd akin's claim his opponent senator claire mccaskill was, quote, unladylike in a recent debate. >> seems some people want to take offense at words. >> i think the debate was tough for todd because i went through the list of his very, very extreme positions and i think maybe he wasn't prepared to answer to some of that and so they went back to that -- i think old gosh, she was mean and unlady like. this is something who kind of makes michelle bachmann look like a hippie. >> we'll take the pulse in the missouri race and the other tight matchups when the sage of capital hill luke russert takes us down ballot, next. you can prevent gas with beano meltaways,

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. the presidential race may be sucking up all the media oxygen but with the fiscal cliff looming, the makeup of the 113th congress may be just as important in determining the future direction of the country. house and senate candidates are going at it tooth and nail lobbying insults dredging up from booze fueled teen arrests to mob ties. whoever wins will have to work with a host of these lawmakers to navigate the looming fiscal showdown. the makeup of both chambers will be instrumental in determining the amount of political capital each brings to the flight. they currently estimate that democrats could pick up from zero to ten seats in the house, not enough to challenge the republican majority. meanwhile in the senate, the democratic control hangs in the balance with republican expected to net two to four seats. joining us from capitol hill, is my celebrity doppelganger the sage of capitol hill, mr. luke russert who i hear is not wearing boat shoes but we'll

move past that quickly. >> this far into october no boat shoes today alex. the traditional loafer. >> nice loafer. i'm not going to ask about socks. luke, we know this presidential race is incredible fluid. i guess i wonder as a sage of capitol hill, if you think that it's having a measurable effect on some of the key senate races which we'll talk about specifically, but broadly speaking the notion that the conventional wisdom is top of the ticket helps determine down ballot. how true do you think that is in this race? >> well, i think it's very true when you look at some of the senate races, particularly in democratic leaning states like massachusetts and connecticut. president obama being on the ballot will significantly help elizabeth warren and congressman murphy there. when you look at the house, though, the democrats would need to win 25 seats in order to regain it. that number i would actually equate to about 35 due to redistricting and different types of retirement and that number is very difficult. the one way in which you would have seen any movement there is

perhaps this was a wave election but all the data indicates it's not, more of a turn out the base, fight over independent election like you saw in 2004. even had mitt romney -- one scenario i've talked about with republicans today, had mitt romney not done well at the debate last week and folks had seen the writing on the wall that perhaps this candidacy was doomed they would have done a bob dole 1996 strategy and doubled down on races in the house and senate and put resources there. romney on the uptick they won't do that. they think there's going to be a lot of enthusiasm for their candidates and they're not worried. will there be a measurable impact? you'll see it in the senate races in the democratic leaning states that were redistricted in democrats' favor like illinois and new york but enough of a wave election to switch the house, probably not. >> steve kornacki, there's a lot to talk about in terms of some of these tight senate races. the brown/warren one i love talking massachusetts politics.

>> so do i. >> the latest wbur poll has warren behind scott brown by three points. other polls have elizabeth warren leading. a third debate tonight. this has been an interesting race to watch. your assessment of it? >> i think what's happened is the polling, over the summer, there's scant polling that was out there put brown ahead. then the democratic convention in charlotte which ener in dized the democrats and that's when warren pulled ahead. for september warren leading brown the every poll taken now the new wbur which shows brown ahead by three points. the key finding if you look down the horse race number in massachusetts for the presidential race in the same poll has romney trailing by 16 points, 52/36. a week ago before the debate the same number and poll that had warren ahead by four had romney losing by 28 in massachusetts. i've always been saying you think back to weld/kerry the '96 senate race, as a model, weld outperformed bob dole by 26 points that year.

it wasn't quite enough because dole lost the state by 33. i've been saying the measurement in massachusetts if romney loses by 30 or more, warren is your next senator, 25 to 30 a toss up, less than 25, brown's going to win. and that's -- a week ago in the 25 to 30 range, now it's back down. >> that's almost a nate sill veer yan set of data points. luke, the other race -- there are many races an we're not going to get to all of them in this segment but todd akin when you talk about republicans going to and fro in their support fiscally and ideological todd akin is still giving claire mcka cas kill a run for her money. her camp says she's up nine points, the akin camp claims he's up two, dueling polls, but needless to say todd akin is still in this thing. you mentioned the republicans are not going to -- needless to say todd akin is still in this thing. you mentioned the republicans

are not going to be piping money into this race, perhaps might have had romney not done so well at the debate. what's the mood on capitol hill visa vis the miss sourry? >> mitt romney, he flipped where his vision was on women so any mention of todd akin would be detrimental to that. akin's strategy has been to see seshlly ignore the national media when he was in d.c. he was going from every district in missouri, every locality for spreading this message we're not going to let the big rich money men dictate what -- who we are going to elect as missourians. one thing i find interesting about that, alex f you look at the senate map the money that is not going to akin is probably going to give him a boost in places like arizona and indiana which are ironically competitive right now. no one thought arizona would be as competitive as it is. putting up a fight with jeff. in indiana joe donnelly against

richard mourdock. watch out for donnelly. he did vote for the president's health care plan but all the polls look like the race is tightening up. that will be interesting to see how those two play out. >> the arizona piece is interesting. jeff flake six-term congressman up against richard carmona, three-point spread on that one. and didn't get to talk about the kinder gentler linda mcmahon up one point in connecticut. thank you as always. we are sure you will -- >> get ready for your nattitude. first game in d.c. >> with the hat, we're ready. i'm ready, i'm coming down. where are you. >> oh. thanks luke. after the break the supreme court hears arguments in the case that could significantly alter the landscape in higher education, affirmative action. here is a live look at the court where reverend al sharpton and the national action network are holding a rally. the possible ramifications of the case next on "now."

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is the best thing for america for all races. there are no victims when you have racial diversity. there are only victims when you stop racial diversity. if we depend on those that broke up the american union and the diversity of america to ep force and implement diversity we will never have diversity. >> the reverend al sharpton speaking outside the supreme court in support of affirmative action policies. nine years after the court upheld the use of racial preferences on campuses the justices are revisiting the issue again in major case involving a caucasian student who claims she was rejected from the university of texas because of had her skin color. this the supreme court has had a

lot on its plate in the last year and this next term proves it will have hot ticket items as well. affirmative action is a really almost -- it's such an incendiary topic in today's world. the atlantic had a cover story or feature on affirmative action making the case it wasn't serving minority students because they were effectively mismatched in competitive colleges and sort of almost to their departmenttry meant. should have been put in equally good schools. i'll read the quote. i'm doing a terrible job paraphrasing. >> some part of this rings icky

don't go to dartmouth, go to community college, shouldn't we be mending the fabric around education and communities so that these students aren't so unprepared to go into higher education. >> exactly. i think george w. bush would have called that the soft bigotry of low expectations. instead of saying let's look at the structural problems before you get to the point you're applying to college and go back. when we live in a society where the unemployment rate for college educated people is 4% and people without a high school diploma is 11% and when african-american latino unemployment is what is causing our unemployment rate to be near 8% because if you look at white unemployment, white female unemployment it's 6%. when you understand the core of the problem starts in preschool where children are not prepared and by third grade, black, hispanic and white students begin to diverge not because

there's something wrong with the black and hispanic students but communities where -- >> dr. dyson -- >> thank you. the appropriate acknowledgement. >> when you have poverty, i've talked to people in education who say i cannot get kids to pass a standardized test when they're falling asleep on their desk in the morning because they're hungry, haven't had breakfast because they went to bed at 11:00 last night not because the parents are bad parents but mom is working overnight to pay the rent, parents are working two and three jobs. not the 47% because they're lazy. they're not able to make a living. all the factors that ignores. >> affirmative action has become a dog whistle for getting this takers makers thing. rush limbaugh said something last week that was -- he's always inflammatory but this was sort of beyond. almost beyond. let's take a listen.

>> the part is if he got a "c" at harvard somebody gave him an "c" if he needed in harvard law somebody greased the skids. he's a black man and favored because he's a black man and the way has been paved for him. >> yeah. >> that notion whether or not -- conservatives don't give voice to that belief the way rush limbaugh did, but the core concern over affirmative action in certain circles is that, this isn't fair you're getting a leg up because of your skin color. >> it's apparent he's sharing the viewpoint widely shared but people don't want to say publicly. there's a kind of infear yorty going on here and poor people, the statements you read is so

damaging with the explanation of joy reid because of all she said don't send them to harvard as opposed to saying let's deal with the standards that need to be elevated in the process leading up to college education so people can compete number one. what about all the mediocre white people who get a chance to do all the things they do. babe ruth did not compete against willie mays. all the play was rigged, the field rigged. affirmative action means we're going to give a shot to michael jordan to play basketball because if affirmative action doesn't exist michael jordan is playing in [ inaudible ]. the retort not all players are michael sw jordan, you ain't either. why do black people have to be geniuses and white people mediocre to compete against the geniuses and the presumption of intelligence is the mediocre and not the genius. white people don't run all networks they haven't had 43 1/2 presidents, they're not the chieftans of industry, most of

the fortune 500 companies. the complaint is when we mess up and acknowledge we've messed up we have to pay the price for it. you tell america as black people pull yourselves up. acknowledge what you did for 250 you got free labor, black intellectual power was used tore your advantage now hook it up, a white woman who has benefited more than anybody else from affirmative action you're not going to talk about your gender you're going to talk about your race and when you put together white women and other abled people, white people benefit more from a policy aimed toward african-american uplift than anybody else. that's the sheet calling the white price. >> i'm getting told we have to end the segment and with -- >> who could have anything to say after that. >> that's a verbal shut down. the case will be interesting. we do know that justice kennedy is likely to be the swing vote on that. >> not really a swing vote on

this. >> who knows. >> we don't know. >> who knows. john roberts -- >> never voted to uphold an affirmative action program. >> 313/911. a sober warning describing conditions in their city as deplorable dangerous and warlike. the look of the madness in the motor city next in what now. humans -- sometimes life trips us up. and sometimes, we trip ourselves up, but that's okay. at liberty mutual insurance we can "untrip" you as you go through your life with personalized policies and discounts when you need them most. just call... and speak with a licensed representative about saving on your policy when you get married, move into a new house... [crash!] or add a car to your policy.

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in case i get hit by a meteor. wow, your hair looks great. didn't realize they did photoshop here. hey, good call on those mugs. can't let 'em see what you're drinking. you know, i'm glad we're both running a nice, clean race. no need to get nasty. here's your "honk if you had an affair with taylor" yard sign. looks good. [ male announcer ] fedex office. now save 50% on banners. welcome back. time for what now. the detroit police force is so understaffed that officers have a message for residents an out of towners. enter at your own risk. hugo, violent crime detroit is ranked number two on the fbi's most recent list of the most dangerous cities in america. >> i like detroit. i'm still going. but i hope they hire more cops.

>> yes. this is steve, you talk about budget cuts the idea of cutting police and firemen and teachers, there is tangible effects the detroit police association and the city are in the midst of contract negotiations and the new contract calls for a 10% pay cut and 12-hour shifts. >> i think of camden, new jersey. >> $5 cops. >> these were once great american cities that decline is just -- it's painful to read a story like this. >> it would be helpful if multiple police chiefs in detroit weren't busy having sex scandals, that might help a little bit. good leadership. >> abandonment of detroit. i grew up there and left in 1979. when you talk about those counties that bane don the city, when i went back for the super bowl i never seen that many white people in detroit before the riots because they have been, you know, some would say discouraged, pushed out, so you have greed and corruption and with kind of racial disparities

between the have gots and have nots. a lethal cocktail. i love you, detroit. go tigers. >> okay. let's not talk baseball. let's not go there. >> show us your -- >> thank you to michael, steve, joy and hugo. that is all. i will see you with a show at noon eastern, 9:00 p.m., joined by richard wolffe, jonathan capehart, michael crowley, gop strategist phil musser, stew rosin burg and obama campaign's ben the thunder labolt. until then find us at facebook.com/now with alex. "andrea mitchell reports" is next. [ male announcer ] the first look...is only the beginning. ♪ ♪ introducing a stunning work of technology. ♪ introducing the entirely new lexus es.

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